Between the Pages
by I'm Not Hooked On Your Phonics
Summary: Written on a dare from a friend; it's a sweet fic about love, Caskett, launch parties, dedications and living the rest of your life with someone. Cuteness/Fluff for the hiatus. A prequel to my story Soon to be Mrs. Castle.


**A/n:**** A friend of mine took the time to email me, dare me, and I **_**did**_** it. I'm a sucker for dares… so here goes. Just so you know this is set in the distant future when Caskett is at a serious stage of romance. Proposal stories are fun aren't they? Yeah… they are especially in our dry spell. **

**Pure cuteness and boredom as a product of this atrocious hiatus we've been subjected too. If I don't like how it turns out I may just delete it later, but for now just tell me what you think. My dare was to: write a **_**Castle**_** proposal story that was funny, had PDA and was well written. Did I achieve this goal? Tell me in the reviews. **

**-K.H. **

A Proposal Between the Pages

A throng of fans, publishers, well-wishers and friends had gathered around. It was set. It was perfect. Though she wasn't one for large social gatherings, Richard Castle was certain his partner/girlfriend would be impressed.

Kate arrived fashionably late, as planned for, an hour into the festivities. From the crowd of people inside the apartment he could see her as soon as she entered, but he didn't go in for the kill just yet. People stopped straight, she was smiled at and welcomed, offered congratulations. Kate took them as well as she could, still not used to this sort of crowd. A man with a tray of multicolored drinks pushed them at her, she took one. "This is going to be a _long_ night." Kate told herself, taking a big sip of the alcohol before settling for a spot to sit. She took in the crowd, all excited about the whole ordeal.

The amount of noise and warm bodies around made her a bit hazy. Kate suddenly felt claustrophobic. She preferred dead people, sometimes, to the living.

She found solace in a couch that was abandoned in a corner by a large window, it was far from the hordes; she welcomed it. As she did, a familiar face appeared next to her. Castle plopped down beside her, an odd smile across his face- almost nervous.

"Welcome."

"Is this what you call a party Mr. Castle?"

"It's only a party if you're having fun. You having fun?"

"Well if you have more booze, than yes. Why do these things always have to be so stuffy?"

"Launch parties? Oh- they can be exciting, fun."

His eyebrow crooked suggestively. Kate just smiled, and leaned closer to him on the couch. Oddly enough as the subjects of the party's celebration, they had managed to find the quieter more intimate setting in the mob filled room. It was sort of nice; he could kiss her on the cheek without hoots and hollers echoing it. Castle expected that for later when his evil plan was put into it's second phase- the dedication phase. She'd have to say yes, surrounded by all those people. He knew it was ruthless, but he was desperate; he couldn't go another second without asking her.

"Oh really? What- is there gonna be a dancing elephant later or something?"

"No… but that can be arranged."

The look on his face showed he considered it. She looked confused. He let a smirk form across his face, which caused her to let out a small chuckle. Though nervous about the ordeal of a proposal, he was confident. Castle slanted a bit, and kissed her sweetly. Kate submitted to it, though she wasn't a fan of PDA. Someone in the background whispered something, and they could hear footsteps, which they tried to ignore. Lanie and Esposito hung over their little couch.

"I can see your making good use of that couch."

"Yeah, you two have a regular little love nest goin' on over here." The couple looked up, Lanie blatantly stated it like it was something obvious and needed to be affirmed.

"Ya' got something right there bro," Esposito hinted wiping an invisible smudge from his face to warn Castle of the one on his. "Yeah right here, lipstick stain." Kate rolled her eyes, 'damn lipstick won't stay on.' She whispered to herself checking her face in the refection of the window before her.

"Don't you guys have somewhere to be? Hmm- mingling to do or something?" Lanie suggested, knowing how they had both avoided the prospect entirely that there were people around. The couple exchanged smiles, and it was Castle who came up with the first excuse.

"I'm mingling. I just _had_ to introduce myself to this detective."

"Yeah, I think you're plenty introduced."

Castle snuck a little smirk in Beckett's direction, she just gestured at her friend and tried to shoo her.

"We're _busy_."

"Mhhhhmm-hmm. Doing something all right… haha. Have fun-"

"-Talk to you later Lanie when I'm less preoccupied."

"I soo need a drink." Lanie finished, rolling her eyes, and taking Esposito's arm.

When the two trotted off, they could hear Lanie mumbling something about hormones, love nests and keeping your hands to yourself. In the distance they could hear Javier just laughing; knowing that they too were guilty of the same thing.

"I haven't gotten to even touch a book yet. Are you hiding them from me or something?" Kate asked, surprised at the lack of posters, books, and various 'Nikki Heat' themed memorabilia at the event. Castle glanced up, and little smile blossomed across his face. She had noticed like most people that the books weren't anywhere in sight.

"Oh- you'll see them. Later though… they'll be handed about when the time's right."

"Keeping them from me I see. What is it? The cover's something you don't want me to see until I'm drunk out of my mind?"

"_That_… and well you'll just have to wait and see."

"You didn't right another scene where we-"

"-Oh yes I did."

"You didn't even let me finish."

"I knew what you were thinking."

She laughed. 'Not again, I'll be harassed about it by Ryan, Lanie, Esposito… basically anyone who can read for the next month. Castle and that stupid imagination…' She thought starting to rue the day she let him continue to shadow her. Those scenes had gotten worse since the first book… more in depth. Sort of like their relationship; he had an uncanny knack for putting their daily life together into his books- bad, good, and _sexy_. If they fought about something- she'd have to choose her words carefully or Nikki would find that same something, _something_ to yell about as well.

"Mr. Castle. The books you had delivered are here." A man with a UPS uniform on appeared from the crowd, he greeted them and asked Castle to sign his little clipboard. Castle nodded, penned his name and asked him to put the boxes by the armchair in the corner.

"I've been waiting for this all night." Beckett said, watching the boxes get stacked as the deliveryman avoided the throngs who seemed to gravitate to the prospect that the books might be inside. "Me too. You have _no_ idea."

He got up and walked over to the little armchair in the corner, beckoning her to follow.

"I know you've all been waiting some time to see these, and here they are," Richard help up a hardback copy of newest novel, _Heat of Battle_. "But before they're all handed out, I'd like to have someone read the dedication out loud." He waved Kate into the armchair he'd strategically placed before the crowd.

"Detective? Would you please?"

A buzz of snickers and cheerful murmurs followed. A little group thinned across the front of the crowd; mostly people important to them. Martha, Alexis, Ryan, Jenny all followed by Esposito with Lanie clinging to him. Kate's father leaned against a pillar, his face an odd combo of joy and seriousness. Friends who knew what was coming made a little line along it, while fans and others watched in confused excitement.

Kate shook her head in disbelief, and at first refused to sit down and read it. She protested, and insisted he should… it was his book, _his_ night. But Rick shook his head and refused.

"Trust me, you'll want to read it."

She took a deep breath, 'He's got all these people here, I bet he's up to something.' Her conscience insisted, popping up a pair of options in the back of her mind. Either leave and disappoint all these people, or read it and be the butt of jokes. She'd take the second, she was used to it. Strangely from the look on Castle's face he seemed to hint it wasn't meant to make her feel embarrassed but this was about something more important... She surrendered to his adamant glances.

"_Fine_."

A nervous wave hit him as he placed the glossy honed book in her lap. It was time. She'd read it, he'd get down on one knee. She'd say yes… hopefully.

Kate smiled at the title and held it up jokingly modeling it. "_Heat of Battle_… Really Rick?" She joked and the crowd all glanced teasingly at Castle who just smiled at the attention. "And she couldn't be wearing any less clothes in this one either," Kate rolled her eyes; a few audience members chortled, Rick shrugged his shoulders and whispered some silly comment about being authentic to the muse's character. She shot him a teasing yet still cold stare from behind the open book.

"Let's see, to K.B…- oh my god."

Kate's eyes stopped dead on the page.

_To K.B. I loved you between the pages. I've loved you since the day we met; I was enthralled… would you do me the honor of living the rest of your life with me? – Writer Boy. _

There it was. Printed in what was going to be millions of copies distributed throughout the world to his fans. There it was, staring back at her… a marriage proposal. Her throat was suddenly dry, and she couldn't seem to tell her mind to read it out loud. She glanced up at him desperate for help. He leaned down and held her hand.

"To-to K.B. I loved you between the pages… I've-I've loved you since the day we met; I was enthralled …would-would you do me the honor of living the rest of your life with me? It's signed… Writer Boy."

The signature made her smile, while the initial question melted her heart. She looked up again. A few hollers, hoots and applauses broke out. She could have sworn, Lanie was letting out a little 'Awww so cute!' in the background.

"Well?"

"What do _you_ think- Writer Boy?"

She kissed him furiously.

"I'd take that as a yes." Someone in the audience announced.

"Well… champagne anyone?" Martha asked, holding up a bottle. The crowd flocked toward it, leaving the now engaged couple still locked in each other's arms.

**A/n:**** Well fluffy enough for you? I don't think it could have reeked any more of fluff and happiness. Was it too nauseous for you or did you like it? **

**-K.H.**


End file.
